Posts Tagged ‘live zappa’

Hi dear Zappafellows (or Zäppi perhaps),
We the Zappateers would like to invite all of you to our mini-festival in Nijmegen Holland on March 14-15. It’s an indoor event, rather a party than a festival with hopefully some 120 attendant plus the bands.

Something pour nos amis français: the Ensemble de Basse Normandie is on tour during January with a show called The Big Note, Zappa Alchimiste. Because I’m lazy, find all the information at zappa.hu.
Toot your own toot, Balint!! Toooot!!

Peter of United Mutations weighs in. Quick link and quote, in case the post were to be deleted (though it can’t happen there, can it?!):

Come on, ZFT, isn’t it possible to make your point of view clear without sending lawyers? Shouldn’t we be able to communicate in a friendly way? Don’t we have a common interest somewhere?
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Dear ZFT, I do not like the way you’re handling this, and I think I’m not alone.

This post is about how legal, or illegal, it is to offer up a non-officially recorded and/or released live show for download.

Let us examine who is likely to download one of these shows in the first place. No, let us first examine the audio quality of the show in question. More often than not, it will suck. B+, A-, they are euphemisms for “bad quality audio”.

Next, on to the profile of the “Potential Downloader”. Debby from around the corner, who is into Beyonce sure doesn’t fit that profile (the poor girl’s in for a big surprise if she downloads any of this “depraved music”). This leaves us with two main categories: (1) the Curious Neophite Zappa fan — a potential customer, and (2) the Completist — a registered customer, one who has bought pretty much all of the official releases, interested in hearing any one single note difference between show A (say, November 15, 1973) and B (November 16, 1973, Late Show).

These are our demographics — agreed?

Explain to me then, how it is deemed a crime to make these live shows freely available for download online. The Curious Neophite, at best, will end up buying official releases, that have much better quality. The Completist will gently nod his head while puffing his pipe, dreaming of the next official release. Moreover, if these shows are not presented freely, some asshole on eBay will be making a profit off of selling them — regardless of how much the audio quality sucks.

A closing quote, if I may. It comes straight from the liner notes of FZ:OZ, as written by GZ:

Bill Lantz, thanks (you bastard) for (not saying by what means you came by) this tape and cooperating (anyway).

These unofficial live shows, in circulation right this minute in so many places, even if we at KUR no longer publish them, serve as food for thought and conversation. They are an essential part of keeping alive the musical legacy of Eff Zee. They provoke discussion among the Completists, lure the Curious Neophite into buying official releases; and as such, should not be banned from the net in my opinion.

(…) it’s in FZ’s City Of Tiny Lites solo where the show comes to life. This is the first Outside Now jam in circulation, with FZ mulling over a phrase he also played a lot in 1980 which ended up in The Radio Is Broken. This is also the debut of the “vampless” Easy Meat, and possibly the best of this last week of ’79, despite the lack of Catholic Girls.

This week’s Friday Boot, courtesy of Gilles, takes us back to Hamburg (again!), February 20, 1976 — exactly one month after a couple of Australian gigs which were later released by the ZFT as FZ:OZ (wiki).

Yes, the way it was played in San Diego, 12.12.1981 (late show).
Some more interesting facts: the very last show of the tour, with Frogs With Dirty Little Lips as a closer, but Whipping Post as a second (!) tune (From aaafnraa.de).

Someone mentioned that they were expecting a 1988 show last week, so who am I to disappoint? Pat Buzby reminds us that this show features nothing composed after 1976, and calls it “a blessing, though it feels bad in a sense to say it”.

Well I don’t know about that, but any show that features Florentine Pogen, Andy, Inca Roads, Eat That Question and then Black Napkins, one after the other, is ok by me. Add the Black Page as an opener (you gotta love the ’88 arrangement), Dupree’s, Cleveland and Big Swifty among others, and you have the makings of one fine show.

Whether it is or not… well, that’s for you to decide. As always, I await your comments with interest.

There is one main reason to love this show (plenty of other reasons, of course, but one main one); The Black Page. I was listening to it just last week and experienced one of those “Jeez, this is good” moments (I then realized that Frank must have been pleased with it too, as you will find if you grab your copy of ‘Guitar‘ and give ‘Move It Or Park It‘ a listen).

Anyway, thinks I, the KUR aficionados have to hear this! So this week’s offering takes us back to June 11 1982, and the early evening show at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt…

Hello and Welcome to the Fine Print!
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